Kelly's Quest (NYC LOVE Book 2) by Jennifer Ann Page B

It reminds me of some tattooed rocker chick Jewels always listens to that sings a dark song about a being some guy’s whore. Maybe after tonight it’ll become my theme song.
    And then a thought occurs to me: Erik ripped my thong in the alley. I feel the color drain from my face. Underneath my skirt, my world is exposed for all to see.
    Damned if my bestie ever misses a single thing, Jewels leaps forward to grab my wrist. “What’s wrong? You gonna pass out again?”
    I yank her closer. “Did anyone see anything… disturbing when I passed out?”
    “I’m pretty sure everyone around us saw you pass out, girlfriend.” She peels my fingers off her arm, giggling. “But don’t worry, Theo dove down to catch you like a scene out of a war movie. I feel like we witnessed him taking a bullet for you.”
    I exhale deeply with my eyes closed. It doesn’t sound like I put on an X-rated peep show after all.
    “I wasn’t letting you get a concussion on my watch,” Theo says, his breath hot on my face. “Can I take you back to their place now? You need to rest.”
    My insides twist with the idea of being alone with Theo. I doubt he’d try to kiss me after I collapsed in front of him, but my dirty secret feels like the weight of an entire planet resting on my shoulders. How am I going to look him in the eye without conceding to the truth?
    “I can go back with you,” Jewels offers.
    I shake my head, knowing if I pulled my music-loving best friend away from a live band, it’d be the equivalent of sacrificing a small animal. “Nah, I’m good. Everyone can stay, I’ll just take a taxi.”
    Theo rises to his feet, lifting me in his arms. “No way. I’m going with to ensure you make it back. Someone needs to stay with you.”
    “ Set me down ,” I hiss between my clenched teeth, holding my skirt tight against my legs. Enclosed in his bulging arms, I feel like a five year old. And with each insanely kind gesture he makes, it’s like adding more fire to my already burned psyche. “I can walk.”
    Theo doesn’t budge. “No use in arguing, Cavenaugh.” He tips his head at Adam and Jewels. “I’ll stay with her until you get home.”
    Although I’m quite aware we’re in the most populated city in the entire nation, and it’s safe to say that no one will ever recognize me as the pathetic girl who couldn’t walk out of the bar, I cover my face as Theo carries me outside.
    To say I’m mortified by the situation I’ve created for myself would be a major understatement. After Theo sets me down on the sidewalk to hail a taxi, my mind becomes a garbled mess of thoughts and feelings. I keep my distance from him on the ride back to Jewels and Adam’s place. I’m unworthy of his affection.
    As we head out to their backyard with bottles of beer in hand, I swear I can feel a shift in the air between us. Theo’s eager to take things a step further. I wait until he’s seated until choosing the couch across from him. With my feet tucked underneath me, I take a long sip of the bitter beer, making a note to buy a bottle of Jameson.
    “Seems like a waste that they put this canopy up,” Theo comments, looking up at the twinkle lights. “Nice night like this? We should be looking at the stars. When I was a kid, I memorized all the constellations so I could point them out to my baby sister.”
    I grin, picturing him as a protective older brother. “You have very many brothers and sisters?”
    “Just her. We’re real close, though. What about you?”
    “Four sisters. And it was exactly the kind of nightmare you’d expect growing up in a household of women. I think my obsession with animals started because it felt like I was living inside of an actual zoo.”
    He grins with delight, his beautiful eyes lit with the glow of the lights above us. “You’re obsessed with animals?”
    “I wouldn’t say obsessed so much as fascinated . At one point I was considering becoming a veterinarian. Now I’m leaning toward zoology. Who